Problems with Production

H.:

consider having lactation consultant come and work with you to help sort out exactly what the problem is and help with putting a plan together.

you can look up at - www.ilca.org / www.birthlink.com

warmly,

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

H.,

I am no expert but I had the same issue two things seemed to work for me. Drinking a medium dark beer and the mothers milk tea. After about a week mine picked up again.

L.

First of all, what makes you think you aren't producing enough? Remember that pumping has nothing to do with how much milk you produce. off the top fo my head I wonder if you might have a latching problem? If his latch wasn't good he wouldn't be feeding as efficiently, which would prevent him from stimulating enough milk production. I suggest seeing a lactation consultant about this.

Other suggestions:
1. relax. don't stress. this more than anything is a pump/milk killer
2. drink lots of water
3. get enough sleep
4. get the suction on your pump checked.
5. Nurse your baby as much as possible. always nurse first before you feed him with a bottle. I would nurse a lot instead of messing with the pump, since your baby will be much more effective at stimulating milk production than pumping ever will be. and remember that there is no rule that says you can't give him seconds, thirds, fourths - just keep switching back and forth between sides until he seems full. Along these lines, there may be some days when he is going through a growth spurt and it will seem like he wants to nurse every hour or two all day. just keep nursing him and know that in about 2 days your milk supply will jump up and then he'll be back to a more normal schedule. Also know that around 8 weeks or so your breasts start to feel less full, but this doesn't mean that they are producing any less.

Congrats on your baby boy! So first of all, every woman's body is different, and every baby is different. Which means that while it's great to hear other peoples' stories, that doesn't necessarily mean it would be the same for the unique combination of you and your baby.

I think what's most important is that you are getting your baby SOME breast milk, as much as you can right now. I would also encourage you to speak to a lactation consultant, but in the event that this doesn't work for you, please do not feel bad, or feel guilty that you aren't breastfeeding.

Check out the research on Enfamil Premium Lipil formula - it's good stuff for your baby. I think we can all agree that breastmilk is best, breastmilk is ideal. But not all of us can produce the supply to exclusively feed our babies for a year without supplementing. Or in my case, I had 2 babies with jaundice that was severe enough for hospitalization and that interfered with nursing. With my son, my first, I basically forced him to nurse for almost 7 months. While I'm thrilled that he got all of that breastmilk, and he's healthy as a horse, it was stressful and difficult the entire time. It was stressful for him and it was stressful for me.

With baby #2, she was a beautiful nurser at birth, I was thrilled! Then jaundice landed her in the nicu the day after we got home. Issues ever since (even after speaking to lactation consultant) and she's almost 5 months. So this time, I pumped every day, making sure she got a bottle of breastmilk every day until she was almost 4 months old, and then pumped about 40 extra ounces which I have in the freezer that I can pull out and give her a big bottle of whenever she gets the sniffles and might get sick. But I'm NOT forcing it this time. I need to be available for my three year old and for the baby, and I need my sanity. She's doing just fine on formula, and has started solids and I was told at her 4 month checkup that she "couldn't look any better." So there you go. Just my story.

Best of luck to you. And one last note, I always, always feel that you have to find what works for YOUR family. Not what works for someone else. Take care.

Hi H.,
I agree with the advice about the importance of consulting with lactation expert - this helped me to get started nursing my first child because he did not always latch on well at the beginning.
Because I went back to work at 6 weeks, all three of my kids were raised with a combination of nursing and formula and did just fine.
I agree with the comments about when your baby has a growth spurt, then he will be wanting to nurse more and more and more. I worked with my pediatrician and eventually gave my son some baby cereal - he is now 6'4"
Your pediatrician is interested in what gives nourishment to your baby and is your baby continuing to grow...Whatever you can do with nursing will give your baby your immune system and a shared closeness but do be gentle with yourself since you just had surgery and know that each baby that you have is different. I found that I was much more relaxed with 2nd and 3rd child and then being more relaxed, it was easier to adjust to nursing and getting plenty of fluids and resting...
Seek out people who nurture you and your baby and make you feel good about being a Mom! Being a Mom means being flexible about your expectations:-) and loving yourself:-)

C.
Mom of 3

I had the same issues with my first son, and I did work with a lactation consultant (personally did NOT like our local la leche league - they were well-meaning, but clueless, but I think maybe there is more understanding now that some women really do have supply problems.)

Anyway, like Tammy, I had better luck with child #2, who was a better nurser. The things I learned, between the two of them:

1. nurse overnight - don't supplement in the evening (you're already doing that)
2. feed more frequently than the books suggest - both my kids nursed every 1.5 hours or more often in the first couple of months. My supply just did not work the way it does for women who can nurse every 3 hours. Also, the pumping just made me crazy and depressed. I had better luck just spending the day in bed with the baby and lots of water to drink.
3. The thing where you nurse and then give supplement at the same feeding did not work for me. I had better luck substituting a feeding instead.
4. Reglan works and it's safe (they give it to preemies.) Your OB should be able to prescribe for you to take.
5. One of my breasts is a bad producer - with the second baby, I pretty much focused on the "good" breast, and finished off feedings with the less-productive one.

And most importantly, do not feel guilty for supplementing and don't make yourself crazy. Your first job is to FEED the baby. Formula is safe and healthy. Breastmilk is great, but I figured that every drop my kids got helped give them the immune boost they needed and it wasn't hurting to also give them something else. You've given it a great shot - do not beat yourself up if it doesn't work out.

Hi H. -

Good for you for sticking with breastfeeding like you are. It's tough work when you have supply problems. I haven't read everyone else's replies yet, so sorry if I duplicate. But I too had very difficult supply issues, so here's what I learned.

First off, the book "Making More Milk" is awesome. It walks through different things to help you figure out if the issue is with you, with the baby, etc. And it also makes you feel like you're still normal even though you're having supply issues.

If the oats, fenugreek, etc. are helping, I would suggest seeing if your doctor would prescribe Domperidone. You can't get it in the US, but after researching it thoroughly and talking to others I know who took it, I felt comfortable taking it. Reglan has a common side effect of depression, so I think Domperidone is a lot better. Dr. Jack Newman, a breastfeeding guru in Canada, is a big supporter of Domperidone.

Also, not all LLL people are LCs, but I know of one that is. She also does the Mommy Cafe at Be By Baby, if that's where you went. Anyhow, did that person look for tongue-tie in your son? That can also cause difficulties.

Have your hormones been checked? Imbalances in your hormones (such as your thyroid going out of whack post-baby) can cause problems with production. If you haven't had that checked, I would definitely recommend you ask your doctor to do that. The Making More Milk book also has some tips in that area, if I remember correctly.

In my case, after 6 months of talking to about 6 LCs and working through that book, I determined that my supply problems were mainly due to a hormone imbalance that didn't allow for proper milk-making breast tissue development. Also, my thyroid went out of whack post-baby, and my son was tongue-tied on top of it all. So I was able to maximize my personal supply, but I never made enough for him due to my lack of proper tissue. However, we worked out a balance of formula and nursing, and now he's 14 months and still nursing! So no matter what, you're doing a great job!

Also, 2 of my LCs worked through the book with me. I got a prescription from our ped for "feeding difficulties" and insurance reimbursed me. So if you would be up for seeing more LCs, even at this point, it could possibly help. (And I can give you their names if you'd like.)

If you ever want to talk to me, just as another person with supply problems, please don't hesitate to send me a message!

Have you considered checking out your local La Leche League? My friends who have consulted them have been pleased. I wish I would have consulted them. My son had pyloric stenosis, but before it was diagnosed an allergy to my milk was suggested; my son was subsequently put on Nutramigen. After his diagnosis and surgery, I didn't have any milk left. I wished I'd gotten the support I needed from a group like LLL.
http://www.llli.org/

Best of luck to you. You're doing a great job!

ok first of all the milk does not need to shoot out! that is no indication of your milk supply! You need to increase your milk supply by slowly cutting out the supplements. Reduce one a for 2 days and then reduce another until you are 100% breastfeeding. You also need to find a La Leche League group, or if you are near Hoffman Estates please email me and I can give you info on a different breastfeeding group! Please get help! Doctors unfortunately are not well informed on breastfeeding!!!

I know EXACTLY how you feel and my heart goes out to you. I struggled with nursing my first daughter. I did all the same things you are doing. I had a lactation consultant too. It was terribly frustrating and broke my heart when I had to start supplementing (she wasn't gaining weight). Once I did start supplementing, it all went downhill. She would want to nurse less and less so in turn I started producing even less and I didn't have much to begin with. When she was about 4 or 5 months old I gave up altogether.

You got some very good advice here. I don't have any to add, sorry. I just wanted you to know you are not the only one and there are many other moms out there who struggle with nursing too. I have many friends who have had troubles. It's so hard because you want to do it so bad and your body just isn't cooperating.

On a more positive note, when my second daughter was born she was a GREAT eater and nursing went much better. I had to start supplementing with her at 4 months though because at that point I just couldn't make enough for her.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck and congratulations on your new baby!!

Congratulations on trying to nurse!! I nursed my daughter for 15 months when I began to wean her and stopped completely at 18 mos. I believe it is because of this, that at age 4, she has had only one ear infection, no allergies, and basically great health and cognition. I tell you this only to encourage you to keep going. But...I think you are going about it the wrong way. My sister is a neonatal nurse who teaches moms to breastfeed -- so I have some backup to what worked for me. First of all, it is very normal that you really don't produce much milk the first 5 days. Second, stop pumping so much. Are you putting your boy on your breast? The only way to get your breasts acting up to speed to what your baby needs is to put him on your breast -- stop pumping so much. Don't worry about "trickling." Your breasts will produce if you keep your boy on your breast. It should be about 15-20 minutes on each breast. And depending on the pump you have - the pump is nowhere as capable of getting your breast to produce milk as naturally as your child. I cannot remember too much anymore, only, during the day put him on your breast every 3 hours. I do recall pumping but I remember saving the milk for when I'd not be around. My daughter never drank from the bottle unless I was out and needed a sitter. And as she got older and slept longer, instead of waking her when my breasts felt engorged, I'd pump. Then she would get the bottle when she woke if my breasts were not engorged. The other thing that really helped me a lot was to watch a video that showed how to breastfeed. It helped to see what breastfeeding looked like vs. reading about it. You could probably google a video of it. Hope this helped.

You've gotten a lot of good responses here and I'll repeat what many have said...the most important thing is to FEED your baby, whether that's breast milk or formula and to love and nuture and cherish your time with your baby. Think about it, when you see a kid on the street, can you tell by looking at them whether they were breast fed or formula fed? No. Of course breast milk is good, but it isn't the end of the world if it doesn't work out. Your baby will be fine if you have to go to all formula.

With my first two, it was just too much to breastfeed them because I was working full time as a teacher and didn't have the time (or the inclination) to pump at work to keep the supply up so I bottle fed them. They both turned out fine and are achieving above average at school. Yes, breast milk does help boost immunity, but you also have to figure in the differences in children. My daughter who was bottle fed is hardly ever sick and when she gets sick, she bounces back very fast. She never even got a cold until she was 2. My son, who was also bottle fed got pneumonia at 10 months and we battled it for 3 months straight. Both bottle fed children, both with different health outcomes. However, since that time, he has been pretty healthy. He does tend to get sick more often than his sister, but not that much more and since the pneumonia, he hasn't gotten anything worse than a bout of strep throat which was taken care of with a course of antibiotics and he's 6.

With my 3rd born almost a year ago, I really wanted to breast feed since I was now a stay at home mom and had the opportunity. However, it just didn't work out. Even in the delivery room after they cleaned him up and gave him to me to feed, the nurse there had problems getting my breast to produce any milk (or at that point colostrum) to entice him to latch on. He seemed to be constantly hungry and I noticed after nursing him that there would be little to no milk around his mouth or on my breast during and after feedings. I didn't "leak" at all. I never had that "letting down" of the milk that's talked about, my breasts didn't become engorged or sore or any of that. Even after I gave up breast feeding I never had any discomfort like women talk about when they either don't breastfeed or stop. Strangely enough, I DID have this discomfort with my other two and leaked milk for a few days even though I wasn't breastfeeding them. It was like I was hardly making any milk at all with my 3rd, like it never "turned on." The nurses told me that the more I nursed, the more I would produce but I had him practically attached to me for the first month and it didn't help and we had to supplement with formula because he was getting next to nothing to eat. He also had a problem staying latched on basically because he wasn't getting anything and would give up and pull away from the breast. I would try pumping to increase supply as that was what every book and piece of literature I read had said to do. I was only getting a half ounce to an ounce after pumping both breasts.

Finally I realized it was becoming more of a hassle than a joy and I was becoming too absorbed and anxious about my milk supply and not enjoying my new baby. Of course I was disappointed that I wasn't able to breast feed but I dealt with it and moved on and I have a happy, healthy 11 month old now that has not been sick once in his entire almost first year of life though he was only breast fed for about a month and only exclusively for a few days.

We're thinking about a fourth and if we do, I might try it again as my OB said that each pregnancy is different and he's known of mothers with supply problems after one birth that had no problems after the next, but if I come across the same difficulties, I'll go to formula like I did this time. It's great to try, but don't let all the literature and even sometimes rude criticism from other breast feeding mothers make you feel like a failure or a bad parent if you just physically can't do it. It's not your fault and your baby will do just fine on formula. (By the way, I know of two people who were bottle fed as babies that now have IQ's in the genius range and I was bottle fed and mine is only 5 points shy.)

Hi H. Talk to your OB/GYN about this. He/she can give you the best professional advice.

Hello H.,

Congratulations on your son! Cherish this time, as they do grow up fast. My daughter is 10.5 months old and I can't believe it!

I want to share my story with you because I have been in your shoes. The other stories and recommendations are great and I went through all of that, but the most important thing to remember is that you need to love your son. Give him hugs, kisses, cuddles and cherish every moment you have with him. That is so important.

I had a rough start with my delivery, but my daughter was healthy. I dealt with post-partum depression for many months and most of it was due to not being able to exclusively breastfeed. Everyone kept telling me that it is so important and it is the best thing for your child, and I totally agree. But some women just can't do it exclusively and that is ok. Im not going to lie, but I still deal with it and feel guilty. It was one of the hardest things I had to accept, but I did everything that I could to give her the best. But the one thing that I didn't give her enough of was love. I was so consumed about being able to breastfeed that I spent most of my time pumping, reading, finding supplements to enhance breast tissue and milk supply, talking to lactation consultants, etc. I let the 1st 6 months past by. I did the best I could and breastfed until 6 months. I spend every moment with my daughter and she loves me and she will not grow up being mad at me because I didn't breastfeed. She is healthy, loving, has a beautiful and fun personality, and everyone just loves her.

My point is, do what is best for you and your family. If it is too much for you, then just do the best you can with breastfeeding and supplement when you need to (I did it). In the end you will be so grateful that you didn't consume yourself with all of this, because the truth of the matter is: every woman is different and some women have it and some women don't. God didn't make us all perfect, but he gave us all what we needed. It doesn't make you a bad mother, it makes you a great mother when you can accept it, do the best you can, and move on.

I hope this helps. I waited for so long to have someone tell me this, and everyone kept telling me what I should do to keep breastfeeding. But all those women didn't have problems like I did, and I just had to trust myself.

If you ever need to talk, just send me a message.

#1 relax, stress can hurt your supply. #2 let him nurse even if you think there is nothing there, they can always get more out. Try not to supplement, as this can not get your milk up. Keep switching sides at a feeding. Meaning let him go for 15 mins on each side twice or 3 times. That should help you increase your supply. He will not starve, it just takes time and since you have been supplementing you body is not making the total amount. Also, bottles are easier to drink than nursing, he needs to learn to nurse. Even if the milk is not shooting out it is still there. My son would get frustrated as well, keep trying.

Contact your local lactation consultant, go there and make sure that he is nursing correctly. His position might be off and preventing him from getting the milk from you. Also they weigh them before and after a feeding. When I thought I was not making enough, my son was drinking 3.5 ounces from one side. Which was plenty.

Remember also that pumping can only get so much milk out but a baby's suction is stronger. I found that if I pumped for 10 minutes (Medela double electric pump is what I have) and then nurse it would increase my supply. I started in the hospital with pumping, I would nurse him for 15 mins on each side then pump for 10 minutes. Next think I knew I had 3-6 ounces coming out of each side at a pumping. But, I know of people who could not pump, nothing would come out because of the let down.

Drink lots of water. Eat a good healthy diet. and Relax. Good luck. It is the most challenging thing you can do, but most rewarding. My son is now almost 15 months and still wants to nurse once a day.

Congratulations on the birth of your son! I have a 9 week old boy and one of the tips they gave me that has helped to increase production is to make sure you pump after every feeding. This ensures all the milk is out of the breasts which means you body will continue to produce that much plus will add a little more to keep up. Also, make sure you pump EVEN after his bottles. This is what I am doing since he was a preemie and had a hard time latching...now he just wants to sleep while on the breast so I have been breast and bottle feeding but have been able to use breast milk for the bottles. Also make sure you are getting proper "let down" since this encourages the milk to flow and also increase production. I know this helps since I am not "letting down" on my right side and now my left breast produces 4-5 times the amount of milk as the right! Hope this info helps! Good luck!!

Try adding flax oil to your diet, ideally 3 tablespoons a day. You can find it at most health food stores (except GNC) Trader Joes, Whole Foods. Buy the liquid form, not the capsules. It's best to add it to a protein shake. You'll boost your milk production, burn fat and build your babies brain! Good luck!

Hi H.! You've gotten some great advice. Believe it or not, keeping your baby on the breast will stimulate your production. My little boy is now 4 mos. old but I would say from birth until about 7 weeks, I felt like I was constantly nursing him. Every time he'd cry, I'd latch him on. All "breast man" jokes aside, he did end up stimulating me to produce what he needed because he is a big boy (90th percentile) and I'm producing more than I EVER did with my daughter (who is now 3-1/2). I know it may be cumbersome but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Best of luck!